309
A little after midnight, you and Captain Cearmaine ride out of Stonewatch on the backs of two swift Slovarian steeds. It is another moonless night and the plain is shrouded by darkness, yet you have no difficulty in seeing the terrain that lies ahead. Using your natural Magnakai skill of Huntmastery, every flowing contour of the grasslands south of Stonewatch is revealed to your eagle eyes. The captain is not so gifted; however, the special spectacles he wears fully compensate for his lack of night vision. They were a token of gratitude from the Arch-Chief of Chaman for his services in defence of the city of Gleesh during the war against the Darklords, and they have often been of use to him when scouting his country’s border with Ruel.
It takes an hour to reach the foothills of the Skardos Mountains. Here, the fertile grasslands of Palmyrion give way to a hilly, weed-choked terrain which is broken by deep canyons and sharp, frowning cliffs. In the pitch blackness your eyes pick out a trail that loops down the rugged slopes towards a deep canyon floor. The captain takes the lead and you follow closely as he descends towards the mouth of a narrow gorge, situated at the far end of the canyon. Within this gorge, the trail writhes and twists like the track of a serpent as it cuts its way between two towering walls of solid rock. Strange animal-like sounds issue from hollows in the rock high above, and you feel a chill of premonition as you ride deeper into this unwelcoming gorge.
At length, the trail widens, and then divides in two. The captain veers left and, within a few minutes, you espy a fissure in the rock wall ahead. Silently you dismount and approach the opening with caution.
‘Yonder passage leads to the Skardos Trail,’ whispers Captain Cearmaine. ‘It is a sure route to Mogaruith, but one that is perilous in the extreme. More than a dozen of my bravest scouts have ventured here, alas, never to return. You would not be thought fainthearted were you to forego entry and ride back with me to Stonewatch.’
‘I will return to your fortress, Captain,’ you reply, your voice quietly resolute, ‘but not until my task at Mogaruith has been completed.’
The captain smiles and raises his steely hand in a salute to your brave determination. ‘Very well, my lord. So be it. Until that glad day dawns I shall pray for your safety and success.’
Then he brings his horse about, takes yours by the reins, and bids you a final farewell before turning back to Stonewatch. ‘May the gods watch over you and deliver us swiftly from the darkness of Mogaruith.’
You return his salute and watch as he rides along the gorge with your steed in tow. The moment he passes out of sight you turn around and steel yourself to enter the gloomy fissure.
